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SANTA CRUZ COUNTY—Soon after President Joe Biden declared a major disaster for the areas of California besieged by a series of atmospheric river storms on Jan. 9—a move that allowed victims to request financial help from the Federal Emergency Management Agency—Watsonville resident Amy Thomas...

SANTA CRUZ COUNTY—Community Bridges is providing cleanup tools and resources at Family Resource Collective (FRC) locations, aiming to help the community recover from the floods and mudslides produced by the recent storms. Residents can rent items such as air movers, dehumidifiers, wet/dry vacs, carpet cleaners,...

PAJARO VALLEY—As the intense series of atmospheric river storms wane, many farmers and agriculture workers across the state of California are left reeling from flood impacts. Many streams, creeks and major rivers in Northern and Central California overflowed their banks during the deluge, sending water...

Longtime Watsonville resident Virginia Varni recently celebrated her 100th birthday surrounded by family and friends.  She was born on Jan. 11, 1923 in Breckenridge, Texas to Charles and Grace Leonard. The family moved to Southern California and Varni gave the first-ever radio broadcast from first...

An armed man keeps watch over the U.S. Presidential helicopter at Watsonville Municipal Airport Wednesday during a practice run for the arrival of President Joe Biden set for Thursday. Two massive U.S. Marine V-22 Osprey tilt-rotor airplanes arrived in concert with two helicopters at...

LARKIN VALLEY—A  woman was shot Monday afternoon in the area of Highway 1 and Mar Monte, according to Sheriff’s Office spokesperson Ashley Keehn. When Sheriff’s deputies arrived around 3pm, they learned the victim self-transported to a local hospital and was being treated for non-life-threatening injuries. The...

SANTA CRUZ COUNTY—President Joe Biden on Saturday declared a disaster exists in the storm-damaged parts of California, freeing up federal aid to help state and local recovery efforts in Merced, Sacramento and Santa Cruz counties. Biden’s declaration came hours after Federal Emergency Management Agency Administrator...

PAJARO—On the same day that the City of Watsonville lifted its evacuation warnings and orders, residents of the town of Pajaro are questioning why the orders keeping them out of their homes still stand. The Main Street bridge over the Pajaro River was still closed...

WATSONVILLE—Watsonville Police Department lifted all evacuation warnings in the City of Watsonville on Monday.  Access into Pajaro from Watsonville is still closed off by the Monterey County Sheriff's Office and will remain closed until Monterey County officials lift the road closures.  Santa Cruz County officials have...

Santa Cruz County Sheriff's deputies and Caltrans workers closed Holohan Road and East Lake Avenue down altogether in the area on Jan. 14 as flood water gushed from Corralitos Creek into early afternoon. Hundreds of people flocked to the banks of Salsipuedes Creek for...